GS7591 VPA 36 Zambian Central Province Safe Water

Audit Analysis

This Gold Standard safe-water project in Zambia's Central Province rehabilitates borehole handpumps to displace kerosene/charcoal use for water heating. While additionality is VVB-confirmed and the methodology is appropriate, the project is beset by extensive material findings: 23% water-quality failure, high mechanical failure rates, collapsed or dried-up boreholes, and numerous data-quality errors in monitoring reports. The volume of corrective actions (19 items) and the shift in leakage treatment from 'quantified' to 'deemed negligible' between verification cycles raise concerns about the robustness of the underlying claims.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠23% of boreholes failed water-quality testing (turbidity) in Feb/Mar 2025, undermining the 'safe water' claim for a significant share of the project
• ⚠High frequency of mechanical failures (worn rubber kits, chains, pipe disconnections) and significant downtime (e.g., 161 down days for one borehole in 2024) suggest the displacement of thermal energy is not consistently achieved
• ⚠Multiple boreholes reported as collapsed, dried up, or with low water levels, directly threatening the physical basis of the emission-reduction claim
• ⚠Leakage justification shifted from 'quantified' (2024 verification) to 'deemed negligible' (2026 verification) without clear explanation of the methodological change
• ⚠Formula error in the usage-survey Excel file excluded the last 5 rows of data, and the number of water-collection forms was misreported (40 vs 42), indicating systemic data-quality weaknesses

Credit Vintages